Improvement in paint-brushes



1; 1. GbBmAN.

Paint-Brushes. No. 139,887, Patented .lfineU, I873.

At 17 e s t lnventor- UNITED STATES JAMES J. GORMAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO."

IMPROVEMENT IN PAINT-BRUSHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,887, dated June 17, 1873; application filed November 4, 1872.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES J. GORMAN, 0f Cincinnati, county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in Convertible Brushes, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in brushes, whereby a broad brush is constructed in parts, so that when by use it becomes no longer valuable as a broad brush it may be separated into the smaller ones of which it is composed, and form several small brushes useful for other purposes. It may be used for paint, paste, varnish, whitewash, Whitening, calcimining, and other brushes.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the brush when put together for use. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show the several smaller brushes when separated for use, and also the manner of connecting them together, when desired.

A is a small brush, in which thebristles or other materials of which the brush is iormed are held together by a casing, B, of tin, or other suitable material, usually made rectangular instead of oval, and having on opposite sides, at the bottom of the casing, the broad hooks a a. The handle 0 of this brush is broad, thin, and with flat sides. D D are intended to be used as side brushes, and are constructed in a similar manner to A, only.having the outer edges oval, with the screw-holes b b in the casing over the point where tha handle is attached to the brush, with the niortise c in the head, and having on either side of it brad or pin holes. All of the hefndles havein the upper part the screw-holds d d d. H is the additional head or cap, which is used when the brushes are seciired together. It has a mortise in the center, and on the lower side the pins S S S S.

The brushes are attached by bringing the side brushes D D up against the center one A, pressing the broad hooks a a of the center brush beneath the edges of the casin g of the side brushes, then putting the additional head or cap H over the handle 0 of the center brush, bringing it down against the heads of the brushes, when the pins S S S enter the corresponding holes in the heads, and the whole is securely fastened together. The additional handles E E are then inserted on either side of (J in the mortise in H, and serve as wedges to prevent cap Hfrom slippm g off,

and add to the handle 0 the necessary addia; tional strength for so large a brush. The handles are then fastened together by a screw at d.

passing a cap of tin,or other suitable material and of suitable size, down over the headsB B B i I after they have been put side by side; but I v prefer the use of the additional head or cap as it serves as a resting-place for the fingers when using the brush.

The brush is sold as it appears in Fig. 1, all put b together, and is designed as a new article of manufacture.

The principle may: be applied to other kinds of brushes. L Its advantages consist in this: The great expense of brush is the bristles,

which, for a broad, brush for whitewashiug,yand especiallyfor painting and varnishing, need to be long and of line quality. By my construction the brush can be used as a broad brush until the bristles become too short for such use, or until it makes brushes of suitable length for other work. Then. it can be taken I apart and made into three good small brushes instead of being thrownaway."

By the same principlemore than three brushes may be combined, if desired.

What I claim is- 1. Handle S, constructedloftwo or more pieces, substantially as and-for the purposes specified. H 2 A brush" composed of smaller brushes combined and attached together by the broad hooks a at and additionalhead for cap H, or its equivalent, substantially. as and for the i purposes specified.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a convertible brush, constructedof sm aller brushes so secured together that they may be sep arated and usedsingly, when desired.

. JAMES J. GOBMAN. Witnesses:

ALBERT G. CLARK, JOHN E. Huron.

PATENT QFFIGE.

The brushes may be secured together by 

